We need a revolution in British businesses to place charity at the heart of company cultures

09 June 2014

UK businesses need a radical overhaul to
create more opportunities for employees to connect with charities,
says a report we’ve published today.

The report, the result of an all-party
parliamentary inquiry chaired by Rt Hon David Blunkett MP, Baroness
Tyler of Enfield and Andrew Percy MP, urges businesses to look at
the commitment of candidates to charity work as part of their
criteria for hiring senior executives.

It calls on business schools to include
courses in philanthropy as part of MBA programmes, so future
business leaders can think about the value of creating social good
through their work.

The report also calls on the Treasury to
reshape incentives for businesses to drive up support for charities
by matching donations made by their employees. It urges businesses
to create ‘giving circles’ in the workplace and allow
employees a range of ways to support good causes.

The proposals aimed at businesses are among a
raft of recommendations aimed at encouraging more people to support
good causes at different stages of their lives.

The call comes at a time when company ethics
are becoming increasingly important to the British public,
especially among younger people. A survey we conducted found that
nearly two-thirds (65%) of 18 – 24 year olds said they would be
more inclined to buy a product or service from a company that makes
donations to charity, compared with 51% of the general public.

The survey by ComRes also found young
people are more likely to want to work for a business that supports
charities, with 61% wanting to do so, compared with 45% of the
public.

Today’s Inquiry report makes 18
recommendations aimed at increasing giving time or money by people
throughout their lives.

Other recommendations include:

TV channels giving up a mandatory time
commitment each year to give charities and causes air time

A social action section being added to UCAS
forms

A post-careers advice service being set up
for older people

Charity work becoming an integral part of
careers advice, citizenship and personal development at
schools

Student Unions increasing their promotion of
volunteering programmes

Younger people being given more opportunities
to shadow charity trustees

Will makers prompting clients by mentioning
that they can use their will to leave a legacy to charity

The Government establishing a task-force of
leading professionals to drive developments in digital giving

The introduction of Living Legacies – which
provide people with tax effective ways to give to charity while
they are still alive.

The Growing Giving Inquiry was established
following the publication of research we commissioned in 2012
showing that fewer households are participating in regular
charitable giving. Whilst 32 per cent of households donated to
charity in 1978, in 2010 only 27 per cent donated, according to
research we conducted with the University of Bristol.

The research showed that the share of
donations received from under-30s has also fallen in the last
thirty years, from 8 per cent in 1980 to 3 per cent in 2010. Yet
the willingness of young people at school to raise funds remains
impressive. Removing barriers and providing incentives to giving of
time and money is vital, as is maintaining that desire to
contribute throughout life.

The cross-party Inquiry held a number of
Parliamentary evidence sessions over the past year, each focussing
on a different life stage and how to better engage these age groups
with charity work.

The sessions featured contributions from
organisations such as BT, Google, NUS, Age UK and the Citizenship
Foundation, as well as from members of the public.

The Growing Up Giving session looked at
charity in education, the ways to engage young people and how to
make giving fit for the digital age. Giving At Work focussed on
giving in the workplace and Going On Giving looked at giving in
later life and retirement.

The chairs of the inquiry will today announce
a series of recommendations based on this evidence. This will form
part of a parliamentary event, with Minister for Civil Society Nick
Hurd MP also speaking and Shadow Minister for Civil Society, Lisa
Nandy MP attending.

Rt Hon David Blunkett MP said: “Businesses are
so influential in our society – in the communities they work in, in
their conversations with customers and with their own
employees.

“Ten days ago, the Governor of the Bank of
England Mark Carney called for greater investment in ‘social
capital’, and one key way to achieve this is to stimulate greater
Corporate Social Responsibility. Jointly with employees, as well as
directly, businesses can contribute to the broader wellbeing of
society.”

“Many companies do an excellent job supporting
charities. But by making it easier for ‘corporate Britain’ to do
more, we also need to recognise that some business leaders think
this should be left to government alone, whilst some in government
think it should be left to philanthropy.”

“At a time when the recession has left people
sceptical of many corporate institutions, we hope that our
recommendations will help build trust in business, provide a vital
boost for charities and stimulate giving in the workplace.”

Baroness Tyler of Enfield said: “We need a
shake up in British businesses to make sure that employers give
their staff the time and opportunities to support charities.
However a genuine change in corporate culture must come from the
top. We need business leaders who are passionate about bringing out
charity support in their workplace and can show leadership in
charity work and philanthropy. Today’s recommendations suggest some
straightforward changes, including tax incentives, that would help
to bring about this change and to encourage more employees to give
of their time and money through their workplace.

John Low, our Chief Executive said: “We
are seriously worried about the falling number of households giving
to charity, which could result in a big drop in donations in the
near future.

“People spend a huge amount of time in the
workplace, making it the ideal place to get people to rally
together around a cause.

“A wide range of organisations have shared
their views as part of the inquiry over the past year on how to
tackle this issue, and we hope turning our recommendations into
actions will help better engage people with charity at every stage
of their lives.”

“Businesses, charities and government now need
to work together to help create real behavioural change in the UK
and embed charity ever more deeply into our culture.”

Rt Hon David Blunkett MP is the Labour Member
of Parliament for Sheffield Brightside and Hillsborough and was
formerly Home Secretary.

Andrew Percy MP is the Conservative Member of
Parliament for Brigg and Goole. He previously served as a
councillor and teacher.

Baroness Tyler of Enfield is a Liberal
Democrat life peer in the House of Lords, and sits on a number of
APPGs including those on social mobility and parents and
families.

ComRes interviewed 2,066 GB adults, including
285 aged between 18 and 24, online between the 26th and
27th March 2014. Data were weighted to be
representative of all GB adults aged 18+. ComRes is a member of the
British Polling Council and abides by its rules. Full data tables
are available at http://www.comres.co.uk/